Melanie Starz
Team Member
Melanie is currently employed by the Menlo Park Fire Protection District as their Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Manager. Her background spans over 20-years working in the private industry and public safety sector. Her career began in 1994, when she became an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) for the San Mateo County ambulance provider, Baystar. She steadily focused on her career development by becoming a paramedic in 1996, a field training officer in 1999, and a clinical supervisor for the ambulance provider in San Joaquin County in 2016. Additionally, she spent many years working as a part-time paramedic for Colma Fire Department. While employed as a paramedic for San Mateo County, she responded to and acted as an integral part of the incident command team for the San Bruno pipeline explosion in 2010 and the Asiana Airline Flight 214 crash in 2013.
Melanie obtained her Bachelor of Arts in Emergency and Disaster Management in 2015 and her Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership in 2022. During her graduate studies, Melanie placed an emphasis on mental wellness in the fire department. Melanie brings to the team her experience of overseeing, coordinating, and communicating with a team of emergency providers in a non-structured and constantly changing environment. The nature of the first responder position puts the individual who chooses this profession at great risk, not only from physical harm, but from psychological harm as well. Melanie believes that the health and well-being of each and every first responder is paramount. She joined the San Mateo CISM Team in 2018 to contribute to a changing culture that embraces and places positive emphasis on mental and behavioral health. |